Evidence mapPaperPMID 41179287Full record

ReviewOncology research2025

Reprogramming the Tumor Microenvironment in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Therapeutic Targets and Innovations.

Bruno Špiljak, Bojan Poposki, Stjepanka Lešić

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Oncology research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Bruno ŠpiljakDepartment of Oral Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia.
Bojan PoposkiDepartment of Oral and Periodontal Diseases, Faculty of Dentistry-Skopje, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, 1000, North Macedonia.
Stjepanka LešićDepartment of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, 31000, Croatia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive cancer with high recurrence rates and prevalent resistance to therapeutic interventions. Tumor behavior is largely dependent on the tumor microenvironment (TME) that includes immune cells, stromal components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the extracellular matrix (ECM), and an associated cytokine network. In this review, we examine principal mechanisms of the tumorigenic transformation, encompassing immune checkpoint disruption, therapy resistance mediated through CAFs, the contribution of hypoxic niches, and several metabolic dependencies that hold potential as future targets. Novel therapeutics developed and/or repurposed, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), TME modulation therapeutics, CAF reprogramming, hypoxia targeting agents, and ECM remodeling, aim to overcome TME-mediated resistance. We also examine the rationale and progress of integrating TME-targeted therapies with other treatment modalities. By identifying actionable, molecular targets within the HNSCC TME, this review presents a translational perspective for implementing TME modulation in personalized treatment. The challenges comprise TME heterogeneity, a paucity of predictive biomarkers, and a translational gap between pre-clinical and clinical practice. Future studies must be aimed at proper stratification of patients, optimization of combination treatment, and cost-effectiveness analysis of TME-modifying therapies to enable personalized medicine in HNSCC treatment.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckTumor MicroenvironmentAnimalsCancer-Associated FibroblastsExtracellular MatrixHumansMolecular Targeted TherapyPrecision Medicinecancer-associated fibroblastsHead and neck squamous cell carcinomaimmunotherapytranslational oncologytumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID41179287
PMCPMC12573164

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.